Dear Friends in Magic,
Every once in a while, I meet magicians who don’t just perform magic – they embody it. Alex Si and Olivier Rijckaert (Louis Loriot) are two such visionaries. Whether on stage or in corporate settings, they blend deep psychology, bold creativity, and philosophical insight into their work. Their passion lifts our art higher, and I’m honored to call them both students and colleagues.
Their journey, shared here, is a shining example of how Mystery School teachings awaken something profound within us. Through years of study and friendship, Alex and Olivier have become not just better magicians, but true guides for others who seek meaning through magic.
This could very well be the last Master Class in Europe, and it’s shaping up to be something truly extraordinary. If you feel the spark, follow it. This may be your once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn with us – heart to heart, mind to mind, and magician to magician.
With wonder,
Jeff McBride, Founder
McBride Magic & Mystery School
Alex Si
About 15 years ago, for my thirtieth birthday, my wife offered me something very special – my first trip to Las Vegas! It was a solo trip, but not one to the casinos. If you’re reading these lines, you know where I was headed. However, little did I know that this would end with sorrow.
My first trip to Vegas was to attend the Magic & Meaning Conference. I went there to meet the masters Eugene Burger, Larry Hass and Jeff McBride. Besides meeting those stars of our art, I discovered something precious. I understood it only when I came back to Belgium – through sorrow and deep sadness.
Back home, an ocean away, I realized that I had found a tribe. People who wanted to go beyond the tricks. People who wanted to create meaningful and beautiful magic. People who were aiming higher for our art. And you, have you discovered your tribe? People who “click” with you and help you grow?
To me, it was obvious: magic clubs and conventions were not enough. I had to come back to Vegas. And I did, for five years in a row! It took that number of years for a small inner voice to grow louder. An inner voice I didn’t realize existed before I could hear it shout, “I want to help local magicians see that magic could be so much more than tricks!” With Larry’s trust and support, I hosted him for a wonderful day filled with a lecture, a workshop, and a full evening show in Brussels.
It was such a fantastic experience, and I received an unexpected gift – one that had a major impact on my life. But let’s first move to my friend Olivier (aka Louis Loriot, the crazy Professor) before continuing my story.
Olivier
When I first became interested in magic, I quickly realized it was, by nature, a rather solitary pursuit. Sure, you can join a magic club, but opportunities to truly learn in a classical teacher-student format are rare. That changed completely the day I discovered the Master Class with Larry Hass, organized in Belgium by Alex.
I signed up, and what followed was a wonderful day – eye-opening, inspiring, and truly transformative. It was during that event that I first understood that magic is not just tricks and techniques, but professionalism, philosophy, and presence.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of attending five Mentalism Masterclasses in Las Vegas – not only learning from Jeff, but also from other legendary figures in the field, such as Ross Johnson. These sessions equipped me with both the skills and the confidence to begin envisioning my own stage show and to launch several other creative projects.
Today, my first full-length show is up and running, and I owe a great deal to Larry and Jeff for their guidance and inspiration. Following their example, I also founded a magic school for children and teenagers – an initiative aimed at passing the torch to the next generation of magicians.
The Master Class was also the beginning of a great friendship with Alex, one that has lasted for over ten years now, and has been a fruitful friendship, too! We’ve created many magical projects together: The Secret Partners, The Enchanted Journeys Cabaret, Master Classes, and more.
Thanks to their unique masterclass concept, Larry and Jeff didn’t just help us become better magicians, they gave us the foundation for a deep community, lasting friendships, and professional collaborations that have truly elevated both our skill and our dedication to the art of magic.
Alex Si’s Surprise Gift
Yes, you probably understand it by now. The surprise gift I received after producing Larry in Belgium was friendships. The event attracted the local magicians who seldom visit magic clubs, but shared my vision for artful magic. The magicians who inspired me every time I saw them perform, became friends who helped me aim higher and dream bigger.
I know many of you, as readers of this Museletter, already know how transformative the experience of attending a class with Jeff and Larry is, for beginners and experts alike. Why? Because there is always one more element to work on. That’s why Olivier and I are organizing one more Master Class in Belgium with both Jeff and Larry.
Or maybe I’m just greedy, and in need of one additional fix of inspiration. I’m already looking forward to meeting new friends. Will one of them be you?
Dear Friends:
In this month’s Museletter, Franklin Williams addresses a quiet but critical challenge in the world of magic: who gets a seat at the table, and who doesn’t. It’s easy to forget how it feels to be a newcomer, eager to share an insight or ask a question, only to be told you haven’t “earned the right” to speak. But is this mindset truly serving our art? Franklin takes a closer look at why welcoming every voice to the table might be the healthiest step we can take for ourselves – and for the future of magic.
The “Big Boy” Table Issue
I sat down initially with the intention to write about a different topic altogether, but then something heartbreaking happened that I thought was no longer a thing in our beloved art of magic. A friend of mine was given the “Big Boy” table speech. It goes something like this:
I beg to differ on this wholeheartedly for a few reasons, and it has made me a much better magician overall because I will listen to feedback from anyone regardless of how long they have been doing magic. I won’t always take it or use it, but I will give them the courtesy of listening. Let me go a bit deeper on why I take this stance.
The Echo Chamber Effect
First of all, I have noticed among many of my full-time pro friends there seems to be an echo chamber effect. If most of them were on the same bill, the audience would not remember who was who or who did what. We, as magicians, would be able to tell the differences in their performances, because we know the subtle differences between different effects and presentations.
They perform magic the same way that their mentors did and view it as sacrilege to do it any other way. Magic needs to move forward, and the only way it does that, is by trying new and different things, while still honoring what came before.
What can a person tell me who has been in magic a short time? Many valuable things, and I will list a few of them here.
I think it is important, especially in our age where pretty much every magic effect is able to be learned thanks to a quick AI search. We need to recognize that the Big Boy Table philosophy only hurts the art. Am I saying you should teach someone new everything? Absolutely not, you should give them valuable information for where they are in their magic journey, but don’t make them feel “less than” for being new.
Embrace the newcomer to the art of magic and ask them to pull up a seat at the table. You may be surprised at the value they bring. You may even be able to stop complaining about other magicians in your area charging too little or making magic look bad, because you all worked together for magic – rather than against each other.